Office of Children and Family Services
The enacted budget makes the following changes to the Executive Budget (analysis as of April 2, 2007):
Adds $1,174,000 to the agency’s All Funds budget, all in the general fund. This increase is predominantly in the Youth Facilities Program for restoration of the Great Valley and Gloversville facilities, and an additional 18 mental health positions, offset by reductions in other programs.
Adds $500,000 to the Central Administration Program for the Office of the Ombudsman to protect and promote the legal rights of youth in OCFS facilities, including $425,000 for personal service. This office is established in the Article VII bill. A director will be appointed by the Governor for a five year term. The office will visit facilities and programs, hear grievances and complaints and investigate alleged violations of the legal rights of youths. Provides that an Ombudsman shall interview staff during regular hours, where feasible. Creates an independent review board, an advisory body that reviews child advocate reports prepared by the office.
Reduces by $300,000 the maintenance undistributed appropriation in the Family and Children’s Services Program for administering activities for the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers, including a reduction of $189,000 in personal services. It is uncertain what impact this will have on FTEs.
Reduces by $1 million funding for contractual services in a maintenance undistributed appropriation in the Systems Support Program.
Adds $1,374,000 to the Youth Facilities Program: $543,000 for 18 additional mental health workers including but not limited to licensed social workers and licensed psychologists, and $837,000 for continued operation of the Great Valley non-secure residential center and the Gloversville group home.
Amends Article VII language to waive the 12 month notice requirement to allow closure of the Brooklyn and Mt. Vernon group homes on October 1, 2007 but not Great Valley residential center or the Gloversville group home.
Rejects the Governor’s proposal for a new Office for the Blind and instead establishes, in an Article VII bill, an executive board within the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The board will make recommendations concerning program coordination, resolution of differences in rules and regulations, and improvements for state and locally operated services.
The Senate and Assembly recommend (analysis as of March 16, 2007):
Senate:
Adds $837,000 for operation of Great Valley non-secure facility ($639,000) and the Gloversville group home ($198,000). Excludes these two facilities from the 12 month waiver exclusion in the Article VII bill, allowing the closure of the OCFS group homes in Brooklyn and Mt. Vernon in October, 2007.
Adds $500,000 to the Administration program for a new Office of the Child Advocate. Adds Article VII language to create this office to protect legal rights for youth in programs and facilities under the jurisdiction of OCFS and other state agencies. The director would be appointed by the Governor for a five year term. The office would visit facilities and programs, hear grievances and complaints and investigate alleged violations of the legal rights of youths. Creates an independent review board, an advisory body that reviews child advocate reports prepared by the office. Provides that employees under investigation be allowed to have a lawyer present.
Reduces by $650,000 (half of the proposed appropriation) the maintenance undistributed appropriation in the Family and Children’s Services Program for services and expenses related to the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waivers, including a reduction of $410,000 in personal service.
Reduces by $1 million the Maintenance Undistributed appropriation in the Systems Support Program for contractual services for the automated child welfare information system.
Amends the Executive’s proposal to create a new Office for the Blind and instead creates a new board within the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. The board would make recommendations concerning program coordination, resolution of differences in rules and regulations, and improvements for state and locally operated services.
Assembly:
Adds $543,000 for 18 additional mental health positions, including licensed social workers and psychologists, in the Youth Facilities Program.
Accepts the Governor’s proposals to close Great Valley and three group homes as well as the waiver of the 12 month notice provision, allowing the closure of these facilities in October, 2007.
The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of February 1, 20007):
A FY 2007-08 workforce of 4,059. This is an increase of 189 FTEs from the adjusted FTE level for FY 2006-07. The following chart identifies adjustments in current fiscal years FTEs along with the recommended differences in FY 2007-08 FTEs by program:
Program
FY 2006-07 Adjustment
FY 2007-08 Difference
Central Administration
0
+6
Employment and Disability Assistance
0
-11
Family and Children Services
0
+11
Training Development
0
+10
Youth Facilities
+48
+173
The total appropriation for Personal Service is $179,713,000, a 6.4% increase.
An All Funds increase of $70, 214,000 (16.1 %) from SFY 2006-07.
Article VII proposal would create an Office of the Blind to take over the function of OCFS’s Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. A new 15 member, unpaid executive board, appointed by the Governor and Legislature, would advise the office. The bill would move employees of the Blind and Visually Handicapped to the Office of the Blind. The effective date for this change is 180 days after enactment. Funding remains within OCFS in the SFY2007-08 budget.
The additional 189 FTEs includes 249 new FTEs offset by the attrition of 60 FTEs due to the proposed closure of the Great Valley non-secure facility and the Gloversville, Brooklyn, and Mount Vernon community residential homes on October 1, 2007 (savings of $1.3 million). An Article VII amends the closure notification requirement to allow closure by this date. According to DOB the Gloversville home has no residents and the other two homes are operating at 40% of capacity. Great Valley is operating at 70% of capacity and hardly any of the residents are from communities in the Cattaraugus County area. Closure of the three group homes was proposed in the SFY 2006-07 Executive Budget but funding and positions were restored by the Legislature. The Senate attributes 48 FTEs to these closures; 28 FTEs at Great Valley and 20 FTEs from the three group homes.
The 173 FTE increases in the Youth Facilities Program are intended “to better meet the safety and health needs of the youth under its care”. The Assembly identifies these positions as 182 direct care staff and 18 mental health staff.
The Assembly identifies $1.3 million to support 24 FTEs to implement a Medicaid Waiver that will permit children in foster care with multiple health needs to access additional services. According to the Executive Budget, this waiver is expected to begin in October, 2007. Only 11 additional FTEs are shown in the Executive Budget in the Family and Children’s Services Program. This should be clarified at statewide labor management.
There appear to be shifts in FTEs between the Employment and Disability Assistance Account and the Family and Children’s Services Program. This should be clarified at Labor Management.
OCFS will have an estimated 390 contract employees in SFY2007-08, 30 fewer contract employees than in SFY 2006-2007. The average cost of an OCFS contract employee in 2006-07 was $76,868. In 2007-08, it is estimated that each contract employee will cost $75,315, a 2% decrease.
According to the Assembly, there is a $4 million savings attributed to conversion of CONNECTIONS contract staff to state employees.
There is a significant increase in Maintenance Undistributed in the Systems Support Program reflecting a $10.8 million increase in the Automated Child Welfare Information System. This is also reflected in a contractual increase of $10.9 million for this Program.
Article VII proposal to mandate local districts to set up performance standards for preventive child welfare services. Another proposal would set up performance measurements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Family-funded programs and establish an allocation methodology for the Flexible Fund for Family Services (FFFS).
Office of Children & Family Services Program Details-State Operations Enacted Proposed Enacted Change in Percent Program 2006-07 Budget 2007-08 Budget 2007-08 Budget Appropriation Change All Funds $434,959,000 $505,173,000 $505,753,000 $70,794,000 16.3% General Fund $232,323,000 $258,127,000 $258,707,000 $26,384,000 11.4% Special Revenue-Federal $81,829,000 $132,239,000 $132,239,000 $50,410,000 61.6% Special Revenue-Other $120,232,000 $114,232,000 $114,232,000 ($6,000,000) -5.0% Enterprise Funds $475,000 $475,000 $475,000 $0 0.0% Internal Service Funds $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $0 0.0% Personal Services $168,878,000 $194,391,000 $195,909,769 $27,031,769 16.0% Contractual services unknown $150,330,000 $149,253,846 $149,253,846 100.0% Administration Program $52,372,000 $46,184,000 $46,684,000 ($5,688,000) -10.9% Personal Service $22,565,000 $22,891,000 $22,891,000 $326,000 1.4% Regular $21,437,000 $21,437,000 Temporary Service $1,201,000 $1,201,000 Holiday/overtime compensation $253,000 $253,000 Nonpersonal Service $9,583,000 $10,539,000 $10,539,000 $956,000 10.0% Supplies and materials $185,000 $185,000 Travel $833,000 $833,000 Contractual services $8,529,000 $8,529,000 Equipment $992,000 $992,000 Maintenance Undist. $1,470,000 $0 $500,000 ($970,000) -66.0% Personal Service $425,000 Regular $425,000 Nonpersonal Service $75,000 Supplies and materials $15,000 Travel $30,000 Contractual services $15,000 Equipment $15,000 Special Revenue-Federal (SRF) $528,000 $528,000 $528,000 $0 0.0% Special Revenue-Other (SRO) $18,126,000 $12,126,000 $12,126,000 ($6,000,000) -33.1% Internal Service Funds (ISF) $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $0 0.0% Head Start Grant Acct - (SRF) $528,000 $528,000 $528,000 $0 0.0% Grants and Bequests Acct. - (SRO) $301,000 $301,000 $301,000 $0 0.0% Personal Service $30,000 $30,000 Regular $30,000 $30,000 Nonpersonal Service $271,000 $271,000